14 DAY TRIAL // If you thought paying a small fortune on micro piglets, or teacup pigs, as they’re called, you should know there are far weirder choices for a pet possible. One trend that is picking up these days, in the UK at least, is that of skunks as pets.
Many owners claim that skunks, while more exotic than cats and dogs (and even piglets), are cleaner and easier to train than all of them, the Daily Mail informs.
For this reason, demand in skunks as pets has been soaring, despite the fact that they’re expensive to buy.
Perhaps another explanation for their increasing popularity is that they’re cheap to raise, since they’re omnivorous and will eat basically anything.
“Owners are undeterred by the strong scent the animals can release when threatened, saying they are cleaner than dogs or cats,” the Mail writes.
“Breeders estimate that there are around 2,000 kept as domestic pets, and demand is increasing,” says the publication.
One woman, who also has several dogs, cats and guinea pigs, says that skunks are by far the better pets because, once trained, they’re very affectionate, not messy and quite a lot of fun to be around.
“Most nights he will crawl up and sleep on my shoulder and snuggle into my neck,” Katie Sleightholme says for the tab.
She paid £375 for Busby, but she knows very well that the price for a skunk in pet shops goes well beyond £1,500.
He’s worth every penny, the woman explains.
“He’s incredibly affectionate and sociable. He follows the kids around when they are playing and even sleeps with the two dogs,” Katie explains.
“We are trying to train him to walk with a lead and harness so we can walk him with the dogs,” she says, adding that Busby only sprayed once and hasn’t done it again ever since he was trained.
Plus, he’s cleaner than a dog.
‘He has a litter tray and uses that like a cat. The dogs make more mess,” the mother of three adds.